Manchester United have started the new season on a promising note winning their first three Premier League matches convincingly and keeping a clean sheet in each.

Jose Mourinho appears satisfied with his crop of first-team players while also boasting of quality in the bench as the Portuguese boss aims to win the Premier League this season.

However, Brazilian youngster Andrea Pereira as well as veteran midfielder Michael Carrick and other fringe players have failed to get a mention in Mourinho squad so far this season, while summer arrival Victor Lindelof was not included in the team for Swansea City and Leicester City games

And they may have to bid their time and wait till the commencement of cup competitions. United will play seven matches in September, including two Champions League matches but Mourinho seems to have no place for the fringe players and can only guarantee them playing time in the EFL and FA Cup.

“I will be very happy when the Champions League and League Cup start,” Mourinho wrote in his programme notes. “Because then I’ll have more games and more opportunities to give all of my players the game time they deserve.

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“As ever, all the boys are working hard. It might be easy for people to praise the ones who have done so well in the opening games of the season, but I prefer to praise the amazing professionals who are not playing at the moment.

“They might not have played the minutes they would have liked so far, but they are all being very patient and waiting for their opportunity to become important for the team.

“Last season showed how much we will need to use the whole squad during the course of the campaign, and while I can only pick 11 players to start each game, the boys all know they will get chances and I know I can count on any of them whenever selected.”

However, that may not be applicable to Pereira who is set for another loan spell in the La Liga with Valencia ready to sign him.

There are reports that the 21-year-old could move to the Spanish club in a season-long loan deal, with his Man United’s future up in the air. Pereira spent last season on loan at Granada where he impressed, making 37 appearances across all competitions and scoring five goals.

The Brazil U23 international also played a key role in the Reds pre-season and had looked to continuing his career at Old Trafford but that is not to be and will reportedly move to the Mestalla this week.